A triple lockdown will come into effect in four Kerala districts reporting the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the state, from Sunday midnight and remain in force till May 23. The boundaries of the Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram districts will be sealed as part of the administration's bid to arrest the massive spread of coronavirus, while the current lockdown will continue in the other 10 districts of the state.
The police will beef up measures to ensure that lockdown restrictions will strictly be in place, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Law and Order Vijay Sakhare told Media One. “If we can effectively implement the lockdown, we can prevent the transmission of the virus. The triple lockdown we had implemented in Kasaragod and Kannur last time (during the first wave) saw very good results,” he said.
The general lockdown in the state that was announced on May 8 has been extended till May 23. "There will be a legal strategy against those who unnecessarily step out. If people are isolated at homes, the transmission of the disease will be confined to homes only. Motorbike patrolling will be done to ensure that people don't break home isolation," he added.
As per the general restrictions, banks will function on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a limited time and with a minimum number of staff, including in the districts where triple lockdown is in place.
The distribution of milk and newspapers will be allowed till 8 am. The distribution of fish too will be allowed till 8 am. However, there will be district-specific restrictions in place, issued by the respective collectors in the four districts.
Medical shops, petrol pumps, ATMs, shops selling life- saving equipment, hospitals and other clinical establishments shall be functioning on all days. Authorities have advised the public to buy provisions and vegetables from shops near their houses and not to travel long distances for the purchase of provisions and vegetables.
Kerala recorded 29,704 COVID-19 cases on May 16, and the test positivity rate — the percentage of people who test positive for the virus against the total number of people who have been tested, stands at 25.61. The number of deaths caused by COVID-19 in the past few days is 89. With this, the number of people who died of COVID-19 in Kerala rose to 6,248.